Federal Eye: April 12, 2009 - April 18, 2009

Jeffrey Zients and Aneesh Chopra have been tapped to serve as the federal government's chief performance officer and chief technology officer, respectively. (Photos by Post and AP) President Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address to announce plans...

In addition to reporting duties for Federal Eye and the pages of The Washington Post, The Eye, co-hosts the weekly "Post Politics Program" that airs Saturdays on Sirius/XM's POTUS political channel. It's a 30-minute review of national political matters...

President Obama is traveling abroad, but his recruitment efforts continue, as he plans to nominate eight more people to join the administration. Most notably, Obama has tapped Christine M. Griffin to serve as deputy director of the Office of Personnel...

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) (Photo by Post) A new, long-anticipated Senate panel tasked with oversight of government contracting will hold its first hearing next Tuesday, focused on the work and resources of inspectors general. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) chairs...

Dan Restrepo speaks alongside White House press secretary Robert Gibbs about President Obama's decision to ease restrictions of travel and remittances to Cuba on Monday. (Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty) "This is a step to extend a hand to the...

Happy Friday! Donald Kettl's arrival at the University of Maryland earlier this week is part of the traditional "revolving door" phenomenon that runs from government to the private sector to academia and UMD spokesman Neil Tickner noted that several...

The official portraits of Richard H. Jackson, Robert F. Kennedy, Elliot Richardson and Janet Reno hang in the office suite of Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. (Photos by Post, UPI, AP) Decorating the new office is probably a...

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) will attend next week's confirmation hearing for his brother Cameron, nominated by President Obama to serve as general counsel at the Commerce Department, but he will recuse himself when it comes time for the committee...

Happy Thursday! President Obama heads south of the border today and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Energy Secretary Steven Chu are going along for the ride. They will discuss various issues with their Mexican counterparts during a jam-packed...

President Obama intends to nominate 13 more individuals to his administration, filling positions at the departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, Labor, State, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Legal Services Corporation and Occupational Safety and Health Review...

Some Department of Transportation employees have close Bo connections. (Bill O'Leary/Post) In arguably the most unusual example of kissing up to the big boss, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is highlighting his agency's connections to Bo the Dog, the new...

Happy Wednesday! It's Tax Day -- a busy day for folks at the U.S. Postal Service and the Internal Revenue Service. If you need to find a Post Office open late in your area check here. Many Americans defy...

University of Pennsylvania political science professor Donald Kettl, a widely respected expert on government transformation, will become dean of the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy, demonstrating that the revolving door opened by the presidential transition extends to academia...

So what did you do on your summer vacation? Later this year, 30 "highly motivated graduate students and college seniors" will be able to say they spied for the U.S. government. Kind of. The Office of the Director of National...

Michelle Obama speaks at Department of Homeland Security headquarters Tuesday in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mandel Ngan/Getty) The Washington Post's Richard Leiby was the pool reporter for today's visit to the Department of Homeland Security by first lady Michelle...

Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry greets staffers on his first day of work Monday. (Photo by OPM) Office of Personnel Management staffers hoping to beat the boss to work will have to get up super-early. John Berry...

Facing a growing list of investigation requests from lawmakers and congressional committees, the Government Accountability Office asked Congress last month for $567.5 million for fiscal year 2010, a 6.9 percent increase over this year's budget. The watchdog agency also hopes...

Washington public radio station WAMU this morning aired audio of an exchange that took place last Tuesday night between one of its reporters and a VA Hospital public affairs officer that resulted in the confiscation of the reporter's recording equipment....

The Department of Veterans Affairs tomorrow will begin a "top to bottom" review of last week's incident involving a WAMU radio reporter and staffers at the VA Hospital in Washington. Officials will investigate the actions taken by security guards and...